I have a sizable collection of games across retro and current platforms, as well as a Steam Library and a huge itch.io bundle of software. I have opportunities abound for games that I could play. But some days, I get stuck trying to figure out
- Which game to play
- How long do I have to play it
- What about other stuff I need to do
- How can I turn this into something meaningful
And it only gets compounded when I try to factor in streaming or writing for a website that I’m a part of. I dunno how many other Twitch/YouTube/TikTok streamers are here but once you reach Affiliate or have a consistent audience it sure seems easy to feel like your gaming time should only happen when you’re streaming. And as a hobbyist writer I feel like I then have to tie in writing about my gaming experiences.
I don’t have anything closely resembling success with these ventures but it feels like if I stop, then I’ll never have that success, like, it feels obtainable when I’m turning my hobby into digestible content for others.
I’ve been trying to break out of this self-defeating cycle by starting a new island in Animal Crossing. Just making small progress, an hour a day, by myself. No distractions, no mental hangups, no “side hustles”.
Just wondering if I’m alone in this or if anyone else has similar experiences, whether or not you stream or whatever :)
Yeah, I have a growing backlog. When I want to get back into a game, I think about if I’ll remember what I was doing or if I’ll remember the controls or if I’ll ruin my save file.
What also hit hard when I lost my save file halfway through The Last of Us Part II. That game is hella depressing and intense, and I’ve struggled to go back through it.
All of that is compounded by the fact that I have some old comfort games that I play on my phone or Switch.
But recently, Theatrhythm and Final Fantasy XVI have got me back into the rhythm of things.